OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

Honorable Homer Garrison, Jr.,, Dtreator 

Departlarnt of rublio Safety 

Camp hiabry 

Austin, Texer 

Dear Sir! Opinion No. o-6987 

Your request for our 

read8 ar follow81 

e above questions 

o truok driven by a 

mob ambulanos or &arm 

when on11 a part of hi8 

irfng ruoh 8utomobilei” 

87b, Vernon’8 Annotated Civil Statutes, 

ae follow8l 

waotion 1. Detlnitlon of worda and phraser. 

*The rouowing word8 ana phrase8 when u80a 

a thi8 Aot shall, for the purpoas of thir Aot, 

have the meanLng8 re8peotiVsly a8oribed t0 them 

in this title. 

880 
Hon. HOIUer Garri8On, page 2 

a* * *’ 

"(1) tDrirrr.c mory perron who briVO8 or 18 ln 

aotual phyrioal oontrol oi a vrhiolr. 

"(la) 'Operator.@ Every person, other than a 

0hwr0ur or oommerolal operator, who 18 In aotual 

phyrioal oontrol~oi a motor rehiolr upon a highway. 

'*(n) ~Oomerolal Operator.' Every perron who 18 

thr driver of a motor vehiole berignea cmmsea ror 

ths tran8portation of pMperty inoluding al]. vehioler 

used for delivery purpo888, while 8aia vehlole 18 bdng 

UWa ror oomaeroial or belivery purpoeer. 

“(0) *ChaufS8url Every perron who is the driver 

for wage8 oompenration or hire, or ior fare, oi a 

motor vehiole tranrporting p~888IlgOrfi. 

a * * l 

“(q) ‘rflghway.~ The entire width between property 

line8 of any road, ntreet, way, thoroughfare, or bridge 

in this State not privately owned or oontrolled, when 

any psrt thereof ir open to the publio for vehioular 

trarfio and over whioh the Stat.0 ha8 legialatlv~ juriealotion under it8 polioe power.*' 

"980, z. Drivers must have lioense. 

*(a) No perronb exoopt tho8r horelnaiter expre88lp 

l qmptsd,~ shall drive any motor vehiole u on a highway 

in thi8 Stat. Utl1OU8 8UOh Qer8OIl h88 l va P id liOWW@ 88 

an operator, a oomaeroial operator, or a ohatifeur under 

the prO7i8iOll8 Of thi8 Aotr 

“(b) Any person boiaing a valid ohaufreuP8 or 

oomaerolal operator’8 lioenn henuaaer neea not proour 

an operator'8 liosnr*:~ 

r* * * 

'SOO. 3. '#bet perronr are exe@ from lioem8e. 

-The follawlng per80118 are exempt from liOen80 

hersunder 

n* * * 

881 

- 
882 

aOn. HOmer Garri8on, Jr., page 3 

*+ * *provided, howovor, It rb811 not br tmoe8-~ 

aary for an eaployer or any Inoorporatra olty, town, 

or vlllagr or thi8 St8t8, or oounty or thi8 state, 

when holding an opentort per&t, to obkiri a 

ohaufr*ur,r lIoen8e in order to operatr m orrl0lal 

motor vahlolr In tha rerrlor of 8uoh Inoorporatod 

olty, tovm, villago, or oounty:* 

It 18 014 Opinion that th0 above qUOt@d prOVi8iOn8 Oi 

raid statute requlro the drltor or a olty-0wnrd fir0 truok 

to h8vs 8n operator*8 lIorn88 , unlr88 ho 8hO8dy h4l8 8 Valid 

ohaurreur~r or oof8a8raIal operrtor*8 lloen80. If uld drlvor 

ha8 aither a valid ohautfrur'8 or oommeroial operator’8 110 

oenle, he 18 not rrquizvd to 8180 harr 85 operatort ltoenre. 

the 

A8 to your quO8tion No. 2, w8 are of the opinion that 

uoted provlaiona of raid rtatuk require the driver Of 

a pr 4 r a tely-o wned l nbul8nor or he8rsa to have a ohaurreur,r 

lioenre . The faot that 8uOh driver performed Other autler 

and that the driving of 8aid ambulanor or heam. wa8 only a 

part 0r hi8 aUti88 would not make any differmoe, a8 ha I8 

required to have 8 lloenre when he I8 In aotual phy8leal 

oontrol of a motor vehlolr upon a highway for any period or 

time. 

Your att8ntlon I8 dlnoted to Subdivialon 6 of geotlon 3 

or raid Itatute, however a8 to oertaln pr8onr who 8r0 exempt 

rrof8 all r8qulre08ntr rdatii. to reourlng a &river'8 lioense, 

laid SubdIvIrIon 6 I'.ading 88 fOiiOW8: 

'Any porron In thr A.rtmd yOZ'o.8 or the United 

Stat88 who i8 on leave or furlough or who m8y br 

temponrily abwnt rrcm hlr or her post or duty, 

or who ha8 boon honorably dIroharg8d from the 

drmod Poroea of the United State8 of Aarsrloa for 

not more than rlx (6) month81 provided, holever, 

that thI8 exemption rhall extend Only until the 

omrsatlon or ho8tllItIea In the present war and 

for one year thrrcafter.r 

/7." ..~ ., :.:j Your8 very truly, 

,& u ATTOBMY GiJUUL OP T&AS 

.~. 

.BY ao, 

JWBtLJ 8